


Motherfucker, don't play with me

by Loulouche



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: F/F, Gen, also yasha summons her wings, and the halfling tries something funny, and the tombtakers are shady, and there's a little of beauyasha, basically i just wanted an excuse to write yasha protecting her family, but of course no one trusts anyone, just because beau asked yasha on a date doesn't mean they stopped being disasters, one night they don't have the dome, post C2E120, the M9 and the tombtakers travel together as they agreed to, they're mostly stuttering like idiots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-13
Updated: 2021-01-13
Packaged: 2021-03-17 20:28:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,926
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28731207
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loulouche/pseuds/Loulouche
Summary: It's been arranged: for now, the Mighty Nein and the Tombtakers will travel together. No need to say the two parties don't trust each other, but at least, it ensures a relative peace. Yasha is on her guard and one night, when Caleb can't cast the dome, she has to deal with Otis' shenanigans.orYasha will not let anyone mess with her family, certainly not with Beau.
Relationships: Beauregard Lionett & Yasha, Beauregard Lionett/Yasha, The Mighty Nein & Yasha
Comments: 6
Kudos: 111





	Motherfucker, don't play with me

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you'll enjoy this... thing... I wrote. Thank you TiamatZX for beta reading and helping with the specifics of the dome! 
> 
> The title is from 'Don't Play' by Halsey.
> 
> EDIT: thanks Adam for letting me know about the halfling's name. I don't have a twitch account, so I'm always at least a few days behind...

Right from the first night, Lucien makes very clear that if they want to summon the Nein-Sided Tower, then the Tombtakers will come with them inside, something the Mighty Nein as a whole obviously refuses. But they have already tested the Nonagon's patience and they don't want to push their luck, so they don't try to convince him to camp right in front of the entry with his companions, where they would be able to see anyone coming in or out. Therefore, they have to renounce the tower.

Which means no date for Beau and Yasha.

Which means they are both pissed.

Well. Even more pissed than they were already because of the Tombtakers' unexpected presence when they woke up in the morning.

But they have to work with it, or rather without it, and to suck it up. After all, the future of Exandria might be at stake.

Since they can't sleep in the tower, the same ritual occurs every night when they settle camp. Each party picks one member for each watch and they form a mixed pair. This way, they all equally participate in keeping the whole group safe, and they ensure none of the two parties can take advantage of the night to take on the other. Then, Caleb casts the dome, not to keep them from the Tombtakers, since Lucien demonstrated he could drop it with a snap of his fingers, but to serve as protection against the elements. The rival party is never invited in, obviously. They bed down for the night and the pairs take their watches one after the other.

It works pretty well, until one night, when Caleb can't summon the dome. They've had two encounters during the day, one of which was against one of these giant worms, and during one of the fights Caleb’s arm ends up fractured. The clerics did what they could, but he is still in need of rest to mend the arm. With one arm busted, there is no means of casting the dome, not even as a ritual, when the night comes. To everybody's frustration, they have to camp out in the open. They remember their very first night in Eiselcross, when they willingly decided to do the same, purely for learning purposes. It wasn't pleasant. But this time, they have no other choice. At least, the sky is clear and it's not snowing.

They form the pairs and when they're done, the Mighty Nein bundle up all together to try and keep as much warmth as possible, but they know this night won't be as restful as they need it to be.

Jester takes the first watch with Zoran, the goliath of the Tombtakers. They both keep each other in check and monitor their surroundings. Eventually, their watch comes to a close, uneventful.

The next pair to stand guard is Yasha and Otis, the female halfling. The aasimar is sitting with her back against a snowy knoll, watching over her friends, both figuratively and literally. She throws suspicious looks to the halfling from time to time.

She hates her. She has hated her since the first day the two parties have travelled together. Veth is shifty, everybody who has known her for over an hour knows this. But Otis… Otis is on a whole other level of shiftiness.

She is always sneaking around. Sure, she is a rogue, that's what she does. But she always looks like she is trying to sneak up on them, to get just any kind of information, as useless as it might be. Every time members of the Mighty Nein try to put some distance between the Tombtakers and them to speak privately, she appears out of nowhere. Yasha even saw her trying to get near their stuff one time when they were having lunch. Yasha suspects she is making sure to keep them all on edge. To what end, she doesn't know, but that's what it looks like. Maybe Beau would have some thoughts on this, but it's not like they have any opportunity to speak in private, without this damn halfling eavesdropping. She will have to talk to her at some point though, because there is no way she hasn't noticed.

Their watch has been quiet so far, and Otis is keeping her distance and not attempting anything.

At one point, when the halfling looks over to Yasha, the aasimar has her eyes closed. She is not moving, but she hasn't been since the beginning of their watch, and she is still sitting upright. Otis looks away and scans her environment. With the clear sky and the moon almost full, standing guard is quite easy and there's nothing within sight.

After a few minutes, she looks in the direction of the Mighty Nein again. Yasha's eyes are still closed but now, her head is slightly tipped forward. Otis waits some more, watches closely, and even from a distance, she can see the aasimar's chest rising in a slow and steady rhythm. She smirks.

The two parties are not camping right next to each other, but the distance between them is not that long, no more than thirty feet. Otis stands up and waits for a reaction, but no one moves among the Mighty Nein, not even Yasha. She swiftly makes her way to their position. Still no movement when she stops five feet away. She already knows who her target will be.

Beauregard led the conversation - or rather the negotiation - when Lucien agreed to travel with them a few days ago. She seems smart, educated, and self-confident. Everything that makes for a very good ally... or a very dangerous enemy. She probably has interesting secrets, just waiting to be revealed.

Otis slowly approaches without a sound. Even as Beau is sleeping, she is holding her satchel against her, but her grip lessened in her sleep and the halfling doesn't need to actually get it from her anyway. She expertly opens it, without waking Beau up, and starts pulling out the first thing she can grab. It must be a notebook, if the shape of it is any indication.

Yasha makes sure to wait until the very last moment so that she literally catches Otis with her hand in the bag. Only when the halfling has her hand deep into Beau's satchel, she fully opens her previously half-closed eyes and stands up.

"Get away from her."

The halfling's eyes shoot up. For just a second, she looks truly unsettled. She's probably not snuck up on very often. But then, her expression turns into a smirk.

Yasha puts her hand on the handle of the Magician's Judge hanging in her back. "Now."

She hears movement around her. Surely, her friends weren't sleeping as tightly as usual and her voice woke them up. She made sure to speak loud enough to do so.

Otis keeps smirking and staring right into Yasha's eyes as she gets her hand out of Beau's satchel. But as she does, she pulls out one of her journals. Beau wakes up right at this moment, but she is not quick enough and doesn't have time to grapple the halfling before she jumps backward with a sneer.

Yasha, although she is not as fast as the monk, has been fully awake the whole time and thus much more reactive. She leaps over her friends and draws her sword at the same time. She lands atop Otis, who is turning around to go back to her companions who are waking up as well, probably both because of the ruckus and the strange connection they share.

Yasha pins the rogue halfling to the ground, one hand on her throat, intent on squeezing it if necessary. "Give it back now, or you will-"

She gets hit in the face with partially frozen snow that immediately bites and burns her skin. With a devilish snigger, Otis takes advantage of Yasha's weakened grapple and breaks free. She runs back to her party and stops next to Lucien, the journal held tight against her chest.

Yasha wipes the snow from her face and briskly stands up. Her friends are all woken up now, and grabbing their respective weapons. She growls and lets her rage completely fill her.

"What's going on?" Fjord asks as he gets up.

"That fucking halfling took one of Beau's journals!" Yasha growls.

Otis sneers and nonchalantly starts going through the notebook at an impressive speed.

"Hey! You stop that right now!"

Yasha is already stepping forward, but Beau immediately grabs her arm. "No! It's not worth it."

All the members of both parties are standing up, weapons in hand as they're facing each other. The Mighty Nein have seen the Tombtakers fighting, but they have no idea how far their powers truly go. They can't risk it.

Lucien grins. "Otis… Where are your manners? You have to ask people's permission before borrowing their stuff."

Yasha glares at him. She hates him, gods, she fucking hates him. She wishes she could pierce him with her sword, even if killing her best friend would break her heart. But this is not Molly anymore, only the body he had inhabited. So yes, she would like to run her blade through him.

"We are civilized people, aren't we?" Lucien says as he stares at the aasimar. "No need to yell."

He looks at the halfling. Just as she finishes speed-reading the journal, the eyes on Lucien’s body flare up.

"Don't be rude, Otis. Give her back what belongs to her."

She obeys and steps toward the Mighty Nein, but immediately, Yasha's wings appear and fully unfold, giving cover to all of her friends.

Lucien raises an eyebrow at her. "No need to be so defensive." The next sentence is spoken simultaneously by all five voices. "She only wants to return the journal and apologizes."

Yasha tightens her grip on the Magician's Judge and purses her lips. "Toss it over here."

Otis doesn't look back at Lucien, but the eyes brighten up again and then the halfling does as told. The notebook lands in the snow at Yasha’s feet. She snatches it and without looking, extends her arm backward for Beau to take it. “Thanks,” the monk whispers.

Lucien opens his arms with an innocent face, his scimitar in one hand. “See? You just needed to ask.”

Yasha grits her teeth. “You stay away from us. The next one who tries anything will regret it.”

“Is this how you usually treat your allies?”

“You are not our allies,” Yasha snarls.

She suddenly feels a hand on her arm, as she is still holding the Magician’s Judge in front of her to keep the Tombtakers away. She looks over her shoulder and meets Beau’s eyes.

“It’s okay, Yash.” She speaks lower then, even if she doesn’t know if it’s of any use. “We don’t know if we have any chance against them. Besides, we kind of need them, at least for now.”

Yasha glances at Lucien. Her wings are fading away now. “Stay on your side and we’ll stay on our own.”

The tiefling doesn’t answer, only grins.

Beau lets go of Yasha’s arm and makes a head motion toward the rest of the Nein. They all gather and throw a few looks toward the Tombtakers, but they seem to be going back to sleep while Otis takes the spot she had previously left and continues her watch as if nothing had happened.

Fjord stares a little longer before focusing on Yasha and speaking in a hushed voice. “How did that happen? Did you fall asleep?”

“No, only pretended to. I don’t trust them, especially this damn halfling. I wanted to see what she would do if she was given an opportunity.”

“We already knew they were not trustworthy.”

“Yes, but now we know we should be even more careful. They will take any opportunity, and apparently they don’t want to kill us, they’re after something else. Information, probably.”

“We’re already extra careful,” Caleb says. “Hard to do better than this. They’re probably as suspicious as us, both parties know very well that we don’t trust each other.”

“I know,” Yasha whispers in a frustrated groan.

Jester glances at the Tombtakers, who are all lying down now, except Otis who is looking in their direction and quickly looks away. “We should go back to sleep.”

Fjord looks at Yasha. “Do you want me to take my watch now?”

“No, I will finish mine.”

Fjord throws a look at Otis, who is now scanning the surroundings. He turns to Yasha. “Be careful. I think she won’t be very pleased that you tricked her. If you see anything shifty on her side, wake us up immediately.”

“She is _always_ shifty.”

“Fair enough. Still, wake us up if there is _anything_.”

Yasha nods and tightens her grip on the sword still in her hand. Fjord nods back and everybody goes back to sleep, if the light somnolence they had been in before can be considered as sleep.

Beau is the only one who stays up. She waits until all of her friends are lying down, even though she knows they won’t be sleeping right away, and leans closer to Yasha. “It was smart. To trick her, I mean.”

“Well… I don’t know if this will be of any use.”

Beau shrugs. “I don’t think they’re super scared now or anything. But at least, they know we’ll be on our guard, and we know they might be looking for information they might be lacking.”

Yasha nods. “I’m not crazy, right? She is super shifty?”

“Yeah, I know!” Beau glances at Otis, but she is not paying attention, or maybe pretending she is not. “I didn’t want to say anything, mostly because somehow she seems to be constantly following every one of us, but she is so shifty. And so sneaky! She could be right next to us and we wouldn’t notice. I hate it!”

“So you’ve been keeping an eye on her?”

“Of course. On all of them, actually. By the way, she will probably be very disappointed, because the journal she took is mainly filled with notes on them, so she won’t get a lot from it.”

Yasha grins. “Good. I hope she’ll be pissed by what she read. She is also very fortunate. If it were more substantial...”

“She might be,” Beau says with a shrug, not bothering to ask Yasha to elaborate on the second part of her statement. She knows Yasha would’ve killed that halfling if that journal had held intricate secrets… which would’ve definitely flared up hostilities between the two groups, something they can’t afford at the moment.

There is an awkward silence, until Beau speaks again. “Thanks for getting my journal back.”

“Oh… Um… Yeah. You probably could have done it yourself. Sorry, I didn’t mean to look like a protective… a protective… I didn’t mean to mollycoddle you or anything.”

“No, no, you didn’t,” Beau assures her. “It was- It was really badass you know, with the wings, and the sword, and everything… It was cool.”

They both turn when they hear a soft chuckle that they immediately identify as Jester’s. They blush a little and then look back at each other.

Beau clears her throat. “Yeah. It was… Um… Thanks.”

A very thin smile forms on Yasha’s face and then disappears. “I… You know, I really wish we could have gone on this date. That’s… That’s a bummer.”

“Yeah. Same. Looks like the universe is against us, uh?” Beau says with a nervous chuckle.

“Yeah. Hopefully we will reverse the current trend soon.”

“I hope so.”

They look at each other with awkward smiles, not saying anything. Beau eventually clears her throat. “I should go back to sleep.”

“Yeah, yeah, sorry.”

“No, it’s okay, it’s fine.”

They hear another chuckle, but they ignore it this time.

“I’m gonna…” Beau starts, as she points at the spot in which she was sleeping. “I’ll… I’ll just…”

“Yeah, yeah. Good night.”

“Yeah. Good night. I mean… Good watch and then good night. Um… See you tomorrow.”

Beau smiles and then goes back to the nestle she had made for herself. She lies down and then awkwardly waves at Yasha before curling up under her cover.

Yasha keeps her smile on a little longer and then goes back to her usual stern expression.

This time, she positions herself between the two groups, right in front of Beau, who is on the outside of the bundle formed by the Mighty Nein. The aasimar gives her a quick look and sees the monk has her eyes closed.

Yasha looks forward again. She places the Magician’s Judge in front of her, the end of the blade resting in the snow. She stares right at Otis. While the halfling gave her crooked smirks from time to time before, now she is no longer smiling at all. Fjord was probably right, she must not have been very pleased by the trick Yasha pulled on her.

They stare at each other, only rarely breaking eye contact to quickly monitor their surroundings. When they do, the other always keeps her eyes on her watch-mate.

Yasha stands tall, her hands tightly gripping her sword and her head held high. She stays still, not even shivering despite the nocturnal cold biting at her skin and making her fingers tingly. She is unmovable, as imperturbable as a sentinel standing guard in front of an imperial building.

As long as Yasha is here, no one will come close to her family.

**Author's Note:**

> As you can tell, I just wanted an excuse to write Yasha as the badass protector aasimar she is. I just have a lot of feelings about her potentially embracing her new role within the party, okay? As always, leave kudos and comments if you liked.
> 
> You can find me on tumblr at louloutche, I post about gay stuff and things no one cares about.


End file.
